Coverage in Somaliland and Somalia
AllAfrica Global Media is a multi-media company headquartered in the United States and Africa. Growing rapidly, AllAfrica's web site logs over six million monthly page views and the company is the largest electronic distributor of African news and information worldwide. Clients include Comtex, Lexis-Nexis, CNN, Reuters Business Briefing, Financial Times Information, CompuServe, Bloomberg and iSyndicate, and for wireless devices, OmniSky and AvantGo. AllAfrica Global Media is highly reputed news company.
AllAfrica was established on 1999, and it earned remarkable trust between the African readers in very short period of time. AllAfrica led many of its readers to realize that good journalism is vital to the health of the democracies in Africa. It tells its readers most of what they know about the world beyond their own experience by going where its audience cannot or will not. It keeps watch on the government and other powerful institutions, exposes wrongdoing and injustice, and shares the endless fascinations of everyday life. AllAfrica reaches the voiceless communities across Africa including women and children.
However, AllAfrica´s sources in Somaliland and Somalia failed to implement the principles of journalism, and provide biased reports that bash countries or groups. AllAfrica Media use the reports by politically motivated Somali News Websites like www.garoweonilne.com (Garowe Online Media) and http://www.shabelle.net (Shabelle Media Network). The reports of such websites don´t respect the values of ethical journalism and are unreliable.
For example, AllAfrica Media republished report by Garowe Online about recent violence between two Somaliland tribes at the border between Somaliland and Ethiopia particularly Ceel-Bardaalle town, where four people were killed by armed bandits. The report can be reached by opening this link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200907150004.html
The report says that fighting took place at Hargiesa Suburbs. This is an attempt to show the world that the Capital of Somaliland is witnessing violence and fighting like Mogadishu, Somalia. The Ceel-Bardaalle town is located 100 Km west of Hargiesa, and is between Gabiley and Awdel Regions. This was politically motivated report by Garowe Online Media.
Unfortunately, Garowe Online misled AllAfrica many similar issues to downgrade Somaliland´s stability and security. However, both Garowe Online and Shabelle Media are unreliable and biased to many Somali and international news agencies. The owners of aforesaid news websites are from Ex-Italian Somalia and politically motivates against independence of Somaliland. Such behavior undermines the values of journalism.
Garowe Online Media is promoting Puntland as third legitimate government in the former Somalia, and campaigning to determine Puntland as the third administration in future Somali Unity – if that happens again. Somali Republic was established on 1st July 1960 after British Somaliland and Italian Somalia united. At that time, Puntland was under Italian Somalia, but Garowe Online is running to promote Puntland as third uniting party – if former Somalia unites again – at the expense of Somaliland. We can say Garowe Online Media is an official mouthpiece for Puntland administration led by Pirate President Cabdiraxman Faroole.
Puntland Administration and Garowe Online are campaigning to force AU and World community to accept Puntland as an existing power within former Somalia, and to have good share in next impossible Somali reconciliation process, which will give Puntland equal share to Italian Somalia and Somaliland.
Puntland Administration use piracy, human trafficking and drug smuggle to catch the world attention. However, Puntland´s crocodile tear over piracy catch the interest of US Congressman Mr. Payne. Pirate President was recently invited to US Congress by Mr. Payne, who failed to understand the true color of Faroole. The entire Somali Pirates operate from Puntland; Human Trafficking operates from Puntland; kidnapping foreigners in common in Puntland; Terrorist organizations, like Al-Itahad Al-Islamiya, are active in Puntland; Garowe Online Media don´t even highlight all these illegal activities in Puntland.
Garowe Online Media publishes articles bashing Somaliland and supplies to outside world; Allafrica Media need to reexamine the credibility of their sources inside Somalia including Puntland owned Garowe Online Media and Shabelle Media Network. Allafrica Media need to establish their own offices across peaceful parts of former Somalia.
Garoowe Online Media is highly corrupted, biased and tribal; it supports the policy of Puntland Administration led by father of the Editor of Garowe Online Media Cabdiraxman Faroole – Maxamed Cabdiraxman Faroole is son of Puntland President and one of the major editors in Garowe Online. Another word, Garowe Online Media is the official mouthpiece of Puntland.
Advice to AllAfrica Media:
AllAfrica Media shall review the policies of their news sources in Somaliland and Somalia, in order maintain the image of the media in Somaliland and Somalia. What is reality is that news of Garowe Online Media is not reliable because the policies of Puntland Administration influence the news portal. Good journalism is about unbiased reporting and unveiling the realities to the world, and discovering the truth of the stories.
Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi
Email: az.almutairi@yahoo.com Print Email
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